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Wednesday, 5 December 2012

SCALES AND BASING

My brain hurts..
Still trying to find an efficient scale which fits with the figures, the table and the capability to recreate a meaningfully large map.. simple, just have to square a circle, put a quart into a pint pot etc.

Lars Høglund's book includes a copy of a wonderful engraving from 1692 which shows 'The Campement of an Infantry Regiment deployed in 2 Battalions, Each Comprising 6 companies or 600 men.' The drawing is signed 'Carolus', which must be Karl XI (1660-1697). The printer? is apparently a 'Stuart' - ikke Svenske!

I noticed that this encampment closely mirrors a field deployment. Even down to the piled arms having the pikes (piquer) in the centre and muskets (mousquetter) to the flanks. The space given for the 600 man battalion is not so different than a field deployment. 20 tents are shown for each company giving about 5 men per tent. They must have been small, presumably carried on carts behind a marching army. The officers get proportionately larger accommodations!

The frontage of the encampment is given as 150 ell (66cm) which is 100m. The two battalions are laid out with the same distance between them. The four companies of each battalion in their place.

One battalion is commanded by the Colonel, the other by the Lieutenant Colonel.

There are avenues between the tents - 2 per company - which allow the companies to stream out and form up without crossing each other or getting mixed up. Presumably they form up somewhere at the top of the diagram, having retrieved their arms.

The whole thing seems to reflect a desire to allow rapid deployment from the tents into a field formation. This is consistent with the uber efficiency drive of Karl XI.